Musical dispensing container



Aug- 10, 1955 R. w. YOUNG, JR., ETAL 3,199,730

MUSICAL DISPENSING CONTAINER Filed June l2, 1963 I3 /27 i. 2 l

FIG. l

INVENTORS www .mm mm 41C www as R0 United States Patent O 3,199,739 MUSICAL DHSPENS NG CNTAINER Robert Winthrop Young, Jr., New York, NX., and

Thomas .lach Armstrong, Jir., Summit, NJ. (both Colgate-Palmolive Co., Colgate-Palmoiive Bldg.,

3th) Pari( Ave., New York 22, NX.)

Filed .lune l2, 1963, Ser. No. 237,383 lil Claims. ((11. Z22- 39) rThis invention relates to dispensing containers and cap structure therefor and particularly to improvements therein wherein discharge of the contents is automatically accompanied by the production of associated sound.

It has been proposed to incorporate music box and like sound producing mechanisms in various types of containers and dispensers but prior to the invention there has been no concept of associating the dispensing of the contents with sound such as music. This is accomplished automatically in the present invention, in the preferred embodiment of which a music box is carried within the cap of an aerosol type container and actuation of the music box is controlled, by operation of the manually moved discharge control member.

A major object of this invention is therefore to provide a novel dispensing container wherein discharge of the contents is automatically accompanied by the production of associated sound.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel pressurized container assembly wherein operation of a manually movable control member to discharge the contents effects concomitant actuation of a sound or music music producing device.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel pressurized container assembly wherein operation of a movable control member for discharging the container contents concornitantly actuates a music box built into the assembly.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel built-in music box structure in a pressurized container assembly wherein the music box is actuated by the discharge valve control operator. Associated with this object are special arrangements for preventing undesired operation of the music box.

A further object ot the invention is to provide a novel pressurized container assembly wherein a container having an outwardly spring biased projecting discharge valve stem enclosed by a cap mounting a control member for the valve stem includes within the cap a sound producing device operatively connected to that member.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel cap assembly for use with any of a number of conventional type aerosol containers, the cap assembly carrying a music box and an associated valve control plunger.

Further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds in connection with the appended claims and the annexed drawings wherein:

FGURE l is a fragmentary elevation partially broken away and in section showing a preferred embodiment of the invention wherein a music box is mounted in the cap of a pressurized container;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the container and cap assembly of FIGURE l broken away and sectioned substantially on line 2 2 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary elevation in section substantially on line 3 3 of FGURE 2 showing plunger details; and

3,199,739 Patented Aug. 10, 1955 FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary bottom plan view in section substantially on line 4-4 of FIGURE 1 showing the music box mounting and other detail.

The invention comprises, in its preferred embodiment, a pressurized container il of the aerosol type having an upwardly projecting hollow valve stem 12 enclosed by a snap-on cap 13.

The container lll is of conventional structure and contains liquid or pulverant material incorporated with a discharge propellant gas under pressure, the discharge of the container contents being controlled by a valve diagrammatically shown at liti which when reciprocable stem l2 is depressed toward the container is opened to permit discharge of the container contents through passage 14 but is otherwise biased toward closed position by the spring acting on the stem. This valve, stem and biasing spring structure all supported within the container on the upper wall of the container is preferably conventional and may be that disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,631,814 to which reference is made for necessary further detail.

As shown in FIGURE 1 the lower open end of cap 13 has a tiexible rim structure l5 formed with an internal bead lo adapted to snap into an annular groove 17 formed in the container Wall. This centers and mounts the cap on the container.

The cap is otherwise closed except for a central opening T S in its top wall 19, and a manual operating plunger 21 projects upwardly through opening 13. At its lower end plunger 2l is formed with a socket 22 rotatably receiving and abutting the upper end of stem l2, and a through passage 23 extends through plunger 21 to terminate in a lateral discharge aperture 24 (FIGURE l). When plunger 2l, which is slidable with respect to cap 13, is depressed the container contents discharge through aligned passages 1li and 23. Plunger 251 is a molded light Weight plastic member and in the assembly it is supported substantially wholly by resting on the upper end of valve stem l2, its weight being too small to depress the stem to actuate the valve. The molded arrow 25 indicates the direction of spray discharge.

Cap t3 is formed internally with an integral rib structure 26 on which is mounted a music box assembly 27 comprising a spring motor 23 having an output shaft 29 carrying a drum 3l which is surfaced with rigid pins 32 for coacting with the metal reeds 33 of a comb plate 34. Plate 34 is secured upon rib structure 26, as by screws 35, and is bent up at one side at 36 to provide a bearing support for shaft 29. Motor 28 is mounted 0n the upper side ofthe plate.

Spring motor 28 is of a conventional type, being a fixed casing containing a wound spring connected at one end to shaft 29 and at its other end to a ratchet and pawl type release disc which may be held or released by a suitable shiftable control element 37.

Control element 37 extends into the embrace of axially spaced radially projecting abutments 38 integral with plunger 2l, so that when plunger 2l is depressed by the operator it moves element 37 to release motor 23 to start turning drum 3l to produce music by the coaction of pins 32 and reeds 33. When plunger 2li is released by the operator it is restored by the spring bias of the valve stem to the FIGURE l position where it has moved element 37 back to motor stopping position. Any equivalent linkage may be used between plunger 21 and motor control element 37, the only requirement being that depression of the plunger starts rotation of drum 31 and release of the plunger stops drum 3l. The axial movement of plunger 2l needed to actuate the container valve is usually very small so that the spacing of abutments 3d can easily be determined.

The spring within motor 23 may be of the very long wound type which is designed to be unwound only after single or repeated actuations of the plunger 2l have exhausted the container contents, or the motor 2S may be provided with a wind stub 33 to be engaged by a removable key 39 inserted through a small opening 4l in wall i9.

A further radial projection t2 integral with plunger 2l is normally located above wall i9 as shown in FIGURE l, but, when plunger 2l is depressed to operate the valve stem, projection d2 Will pass through a recess fil-3 cut into one edge of opening ld in only one position of rotation of plunger 2l on its axis. In any other position plunger 2l cannot be depressed because projection 4.?. will encounter cap wall 19.

llunger 2l is also formed with a side slot 44 adapted to receive a stationary projection 45 mounted by a flexible neck 46 integral with rib structure 26. As shown in FIGURE 2 slot id has sufficient circumferential extent, about 45, to limit rotation of plunger 2l between tvvo limit positions.

In one such limit position, shown in 1iTIGURE Z, projection i2 is aligned with recess 43 and the indicia 0N on wall i9, which means that plunger Zi may be depressed sufliciently to actuate the discharge valve. In this limit position of FIGURE 2, the abutments 33 will be located to actuate motor control member 37, which means that music will be produced during the discharge period.

In the other limit position, which would be reached when plunger Zit is rotated clockwise in FIGURE 2, the projection 42 would align with the indication OFF on wall i9 and would overlie wall i9 closely so that plunger 2l could not be depressed sufficiently to discharge the container contents. It will be noted that in this position the abutments 38 will no longer be aligned with motor control member, so that no music may be produced.

The invention therefore provides an assembly wherein an associated sound producing device and special valve operating discharge plunger are mounted on the cap of a pressurized container, the container contents may be discharged without removing the cap, and discharge of the contents is accompanied by associated sound. The parts are so dimensioned as to accomplish the desired function, and the music device and plunger are preassembled with the cap before the cap is placed on the container. The tlexible neck 46 enables forcible engagement of projection 4S with slot 44 during assembly and positions plunger 2l during assembly.

The sound produced by the music box may have special association with the particular material being sprayed, or the trade name of that material. For example with silver hair spray, the music box will sound a few distinctive notes of Silver Threads Among the Gold. Similarly spray of a perfume called Hunting will be accompanied by strains of A Hunting We Will Go.

It will be noted that the above-described cap assembly containing the music box and special plunger is removably mounted on a standard aerosol container, so that the purchaser need acquire only one complete package and then use the same cap on subsequently purchased containers.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patents is:

l. For use with a dispensing container containing liuid material under pressure and having a valve operable by a movable control member to selectively discharge said material, a cap adapted to be mounted on said container, means mounting a sound producing unit within said cap, means on said cap adapted to be operatively connected to said control member for actuating said control member to discharge said material, and means within the cap responsive to said actuation of said control member for automatically concomitantly operating said sound producing unit during discharge of said material.

2. In the combintion dei-ined in claim I., said means for actuating the valve control member comprising a plunger which has operative connection with said sound producing unit.

3. In the combination defined in claim 2, aligned discharged passages formed in said valve control member and plunger and terminating in a laterally directed outlet outside the cap.

1i. In combination with a dispensing container containing uid material under pressure and having a valve operable by an upwardly projecting movable hollow valve stem to selectively discharge said material, said stem being spring biased to valve closed position, means mounting a cap on said container to enclose said stem, means mounting a sound producing unit within said cap, a freely movable plunger seated at one end on said valve stem and projecting through the cover for manual operation, and means within said cover responsive to actuation of said plunger to depress the valve stern for automatically concomitantly operating said sound producing unit during discharge of said material.

5. In combination with a dispensing package containing iluid material and a discharge propellant under pressure and having a valve operable by a reciprocable plunger to selectively discharge said material, means mounting a motor driven music box within said package, and means in said package operatively connecting said plunger for automatically operating said music box to provide music accompanying discharge of said material whenever said plunger is depressed to effect discharge of the contents of said container.

d. A removable cap assembly for a dispensing package containing fluid material under pressure and having a valve operable by a movable control member to selectively discharge said material, means mounting a sound producing unit Within said cap assembly and a manually operable accessible plunger carried by said cap assembly operatively connected to said unit and adapted to be connected to said control member when the cap is on a container.

7. In combination, a container for tluent material under pressure having an upstanding hollow valve stem spring biased outwardly to valve closed position, a cap assembly removably mounted on said container to enclose said stem, a motor driven sound producing device mounted within said cap and having a control element `shiftable between motor start and stop positions, a movable valve operator carried by said cap assembly in engagement with said valve stem and having a discharge passage that is a substantial continuation of said valve stem and terminates outside the cap assembly, and means providing an operable connection between said valve operator and said element so that when said valve operator is depressed to effect discharge of the container contents through said passage `said motor is started to at the same time produce sound from said device, and when said valve operator is released it is spring returned by the valve stem bias and said motor is stopped.

8. In the combination defined in claim '7, said valve operator being a centered plunger which in the assembly rests freely and detachably on the upper end of said valve stem and projects slidably through the cap wall.

9. In the combination defined in claim 7, said valve operator being a centered plunger that is rotatable on the axis of said stern between an active position wherein it may be axially depressed suiciently to eitect discharge of the container contents and an inactive position where such axial depression is blocked.

Titi. A dispensing package comprising in combination a container of uid material under pressure provided with a discharge valve having an upstanding valve stem, man ual valve operating means connected for actuating said stern to selectively discharge said material, a cap mounted on said container to enclose said stem, said valve operating means projecting through said cap, means mounting a sound producing unit within said cap, and means responsive upon actuation of said valve operating means for automatically operating said sound producing unit dur- References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,252,289 8/41 Kind et al.

2,800,048 7/47 Anderson 84-95 2,831,608 4/58 Seifer et al. 222-39 2,884,827 5/ 59 Lecoultre 84-95 2,921,495 1/60 Ichikawa 84-95 2,945,583 7/60 Sire 84-95 X 2,959,084 11/60 Reuge 84-95 RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Primary Examiner. LOUIS l. DEMBO, Examiner. 

1. FOR USE WITH A DISPENSING CONTAINER CONTAINING FLUID MATERIAL UNDER PRESSURE AND HAVING A VALVE OPERABLE BY A MOVABLE CONTROL MEMBER TO SELECTIVELY DISCHARGE SAID MATERIAL, A CAP ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED ON SAID CONTAINER, MEANS MOUNTING A SOUND PRODUCING UNIT WITHIN SAID CAP, MEANS ON SAID CAP ADAPTED TO BE OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID CONTROL MEMBER FOR ACTUATING SAID CONTROL MEMBER TO DISCHARGE SAID MATERIAL, AND MEANS WITHIN THE CAP RESPONSIVE TO SAID ACTUATION OF SAID CONTROL MEMBER FOR AUTOMATICALLY CONCOMITANTLY OPERATING SAID SOUND PRODUCING UNIT DURING DISCHARGE OF SAID MATERIAL. 